“Don’t you think we should call an ambulance?”
Even in Hannah’s dreams, Nina’s voice sounded like fingernails going down a chalkboard. Not necessarily the scraping, squealing noise associated with the action, just the fact that it grated on Hannah’s nerves. Only in her dreams could Hannah admit something like that. In real life, she wore her friend like a shield and was thankful for any and all protection it provided.
“What we need is for you to give me some room. I’m surprised you broke up your court to come check on her. Since you did, I’ll go ahead and tell you that I’m taking her home. I can get a car to come pick you up or you can ask one of your many adoring fans to give you a ride.”
Hannah felt motion, but she was too busy analyzing the male voice to react to her body being moved around. It had been a long time since she’d dreamed about that particular voice. In high school, it had been a fairly common occurrence, because back then she allowed her imagination to run a little more freely.
It was one of the only times she allowed herself to be foolish. Her experiences around the time made it stupid, but she always thought he was different than the other kids at school. Since she felt the same way about herself, it was easy to gravitate towards thinking about him as more than just another kid.
Once she joined the grown-up world of jobs and responsibilities, she didn’t let herself fantasize about Curtis. That wasn’t completely true. When an article came out about him, she sometimes had little thoughts of what it would be like to be in his world, but it never included hearing him tell Nina off.
“Excuse me? Put her down. I’m her best friend and the only person here qualified to make decisions based on her welfare. You’re not taking her anywhere.”
It would have been nice to have a visual sense of what was going on. Hannah couldn’t remember a dream only in audio. It felt like she was sort of floating around as the two of them fought. She hated only being able to imagine the expressions that went along with the words. Both of them sounded pissed, but without seeing Nina, in particular, she couldn’t tell how nuclear things were.
“You really think you can stop me? You haven’t had Hannah’s best interests in mind since long before high school, so don’t give me that crap about you being qualified for anything when it comes to her.”
Curtis’ voice stopped for a second and Hannah heard a deep breath from close to her head. Realizing that the reason she couldn’t see anything in the dream was more than likely because her eyes were closed, she blinked a couple of times and let her eyelids rise. A simple solution to the problem, which seemed to cause only new ones to appear.
Her brain should have put it together that dream Curtis had picked her up, but she wasn’t ready to see the black button-down shirt he was wearing up close and personal. Nor was she ready for the peppermint smell that she associated with him to instantly overwhelm her. Her extremities began to tingle, starting a sensation she didn’t remember swarming around her body. It felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin.
“Just because you make a few hundred thousand more than I do a year doesn’t mean you can come in here and throw your weight around.”
Hannah wanted to turn to see Nina as she responded, but she couldn’t look away from the defined edges of Curtis’ chin. Chiseled described the man perfectly and up close it wasn’t easy to resist reaching out and running a finger along the skin making up those defined edges.
“You need mental help, Nina. I’d think with all your money, you’d have plenty of doctors begging for you to spend some quality time with them.”
Curtis looked down and acknowledge with a wink that he saw Hannah’s eyes were open. The smile that spread across his face softened his coffee-colored eyes a little, but he still seemed pissed.
Hannah didn’t want to think the actions going on around her were reality, but out the corner of her eye she saw pale green lockers as she was carried down a hall. Most of the reunion had felt like her just going through the motions, but they were motions in the real world, not dream world. She didn’t remember exactly what would’ve caused Curtis to carry her around, but Hannah came to the realization he was, and he wasn’t struggling at all to do so.
“You don’t even know where she lives, and I’m not going to tell you, so put her down and let me take care of her.”
Nina actually sounded like she cared. Her tone didn’t change that much, but there was more assertion than she usually mustered for mundane conversation. Hannah still couldn’t see her, but she had registered the sound of her high heels against the polished white floor working overtime to keep up with Curtis. The man’s strides were probably one for every two of Nina’s.
“There you go again making assumptions. You have never known anything about me, Nina. Thankfully, Hannah is up and can make her own choices. Since she hasn’t tried to escape from my arms, I don’t think she has a problem with me giving her a ride home.”
“All that means is she isn’t rude. Hannah, tell him to get lost and I’ll get you home and tucked into bed with some food to get your blood sugar up. I knew you should have had more than that salad at lunch today.”
Nina said the words, but in the twenty years they’d known each other, she’d never played nursemaid. Hannah didn’t see that starting anytime soon, so the promise felt like it was about getting Curtis out of the picture. Hannah figured that had to do with the fact he’d taken charge of the situation and wasn’t listening to a word she said.
“She’s probably right. I don’t want to waste anymore of your night than I already have.”
Hannah kept her voice quiet, like she had during the conversation with Curtis in the gym. She remembered bits and pieces of what they’d said, but most of it was a haze. She’d put together that for some reason she’d passed out, which wasn’t like her. The anxiety of the night had kept her eating to a minimum, but she had eaten enough she wasn’t starving.
Curtis stared down at Hannah. His eyes so focused that it felt like he was looking through her, maybe trying to read her mind. God help him if he had that ability, because there was never anything interesting rolling around in there.
“I asked you out on a date and you fainted. I think it’s my responsibility to make sure you get some food and are tucked in bed.”
Before Hannah had a chance to react, Nina flew into one of her tirades. Hannah wasn’t sure if anyone else had followed them towards the parking lot, but the decibels Nina hit made sure everyone in the school could hear her screeching.
“You asked her out. Are you an idiot?”
Hannah had initially tried to remember Curtis asking her out, but Nina made it hard to concentrate on anything other than her. The question of whether he was an idiot seemed a bit much, but Hannah had to wonder if what he said was true. Why in the world would he ask her out?
“What? Are you afraid someone is going to take away your little errand monkey? I’m pretty sure Hannah is allowed to have a life.”
Curtis had almost made it to the door, but instead of walking through it, he spun around to face the angry woman still working to keep pace with him. Hannah let her focus on him turn to her friend.
Nina’s face was blotchy, a state Hannah had never seen. It wasn’t obvious whether it was the exertion it took to follow Curtis or something else that caused it, but Hannah wanted to guide Nina to a bathroom as soon as possible so she could fix the problem. If anyone saw her without a perfectly painted face, Nina was bound to go on a killing spree.
“You are such a fucking idiot.”
The power behind Nina’s words surprised even Hannah, who had heard the woman’s longest, most cursed-filled rants. Nina could strip skin off with words, but it was rare she sent bullets flying with the words. Hannah felt like one of those bullets punctured the skin of her right arm.
“What was your goal here? Come in and pick on the most vulnerable, easy to score girl and get your rocks off on watching her bend under your touch. Did you roofie her? Is that why she passed out and now looks half out of it? I’m going to call the cops.”
Nina quickly reached into the small clutch she’d kept close to her all night and fished out her phone. It was almost the size of a tablet, which made it a miracle that it fit in the cute sequin-covered accessory.
“Screw you, Nina. If anyone roofied her it was you. You’ve got to be giving her some kind of drugs to keep her believing the world revolves around Princess Nina.”
Curtis’ words didn’t have the same bite, but he didn’t need to filet someone to make sure his point got across. Since Hannah was still in his arms with her head against his chest, each word vibrated from within him through her ear.
Hannah had never been more confused. Nina’s side of things were typical of her general look on life, something Hannah had long ago come to accept. She had no idea where Curtis was coming from. He’d never shown interest, and yet, apparently, he was asking her out and fighting with Nina about how she was treated.
It made absolutely no sense. At least Nina saw that and backed up the thoughts in Hannah’s mind.
“Maybe you should put me down.”
The response should’ve come the moment Hannah realized she wasn’t dreaming. It was hard to get a word in with the two strong personalities battling it out, but righting herself should’ve been a priority.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You obviously didn’t see yourself buckle, but I’d prefer to never see that again and I’m not sure you’re ready to be on your feet yet.”
“Look who’s trying to decide her life for her now. I told you back in high school to stay away from her, so I don’t know why you think a decade would change that. She’s still off limits to you.”
Hannah didn’t know what to be more shocked about – the fact the words came out of Nina’s mouth or that Curtis didn’t immediately correct them. It was bad enough that they were talking about her like she wasn’t in the room and both trying to make decisions for her. Hearing that she’d been a topic they’d discussed before was sort of surreal.
“She has a right to make that decision herself.”
Curtis didn’t fight as Hannah moved her legs out of his hold and about fell on her face as she tried to right herself. He kept his hands supporting her throughout the move, his warmth sending a shiver up her spine.
“I don’t know what you two are talking about, but I think I’m going to see myself home and try to get some sleep.”
Before Nina or Curtis could force their opinions on her, Hannah darted around the arms working to steady her and pushed through the doors leading to the parking lot. She hadn’t thought herself as anyone particularly speedy, but in her opinion, she made the move so effortless it left her companions in shock. At least that’s what she told herself when it took Curtis a few seconds to run after her.
“Wait,” he called.
Hannah hadn’t parked close enough to the door to make it to the car before he could catch up with her. She didn’t slow down even after the word. Her head was drifting from thought to thought, not really sure whether the whole interaction was a dream or real life.
So much of what she heard didn’t make sense. The only thing that did was the hatred she remembered from high school between Nina and Curtis was as strong as ever. She’d forgotten how turbulent it seemed to be.
Hannah found the key to her car in her black clutch and quickly hit the button to unlock the doors. Curtis didn’t try to stop her from opening the door and sliding in, even though he had caught up to her.
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive? I caught you before you could hit your head or anything, but I’m worried something will trigger another faint while you’re driving.”
Rather than answer with words, Hannah nodded her head. It had taken a second for the cold air outside to hit her, but sitting with the car door open, it finally reminded her that she wasn’t dressed for the temperatures. It was still technically summer, but the temperature at nights had been dipping down in the fifties.
“I think I need some time to think. I have no idea what was going on in there and how much of what was said is true. I just know I need to be alone right now.”
“Yeah, okay.” Curtis moved to put a hand on the door, like he would close it for her. “If it’s okay, I’m going to follow you home, just to make sure you get there safely.”
Hannah didn’t think she could stop him from doing whatever he wanted in his own car, so she shrugged while she put the key in the ignition and started the car. He could take the action however he wanted.
“Also, if you don’t mind,” he said as he ran his fingers through his short brown hair. “When you do want to talk, call me before her. I need to explain things and if you let her go first, I don’t think you’ll give me a chance.”
The words didn’t make a lot of sense, but Hannah found her head nodding up and down. Since she didn’t have his phone number, and doubted it was something widely published, there wasn’t much hope for her following through with the promise.
“Great, I’ll text you so you have my number and talk to you later.”
Curtis shut the door and ran off, presumably to his car. After living a life where everything made sense and her days were planned out pretty perfectly, just an hour or so had thrown a big wrench in Hannah’s equilibrium.